October 2012

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

We are off to a Halloween dinner with friends and then some good ol' trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. The rain seems to have temporarily lifted, but we will see how long it lasts...so strange to think that last year we were trick-or-treating in high rises in NYC, and what a different Halloween it is there this year. Sending lots of love to our friends who are struggling to make this Halloween a happy one for their littles, in the midst of no power, some no water and some with costumes stuck back in their apartments. I hope you are able to make some great memories despite the setbacks!!

Monday, October 29, 2012

I was so so excited to find out that we are within close striking distance of so many amazing pumpkin patches here in Washington! There are pumpkins galore! It's been probably since my own childhood when I actually got to go to a muddy pick-it-yourself type pumpkin farm, and I was dying to give that same experience to London. We gathered up some friends and took off for one of the local farms, which turned out to have some really neat stuff for kids, including a "living playground" made from plants, sticks and other natural materials, crown-making out of dried flowers, apple bobbing, pumpkin carving, hay rides, and lots of mud puddles! Long live good old fashioned fun, I say.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

I do believe Soft Gallery has some of the most beautiful children's clothing on the market these days and now I've got a serious eye on their children's decor collection. I shall definitely be paying close attention to what they end up creating next! These owl sheets are quickly rising to the top of my wish list. And, they come in a larger size (for you adults to love them also) and in a baby crib size. Available from Lille Figaro.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

I love seeing multi-use toys that can grow with your child and this brand new toy from Weefab definitely fits in that category. With several different configurations and a few add-on parts, the Weerol can be converted into a stroller, a shopping cart, a cargo train, a scooting toy, a gliding ride-on toy, a rocking toy, and even a wheelbarrow. More fun with two rather than one, these reasonably priced toys are heirloom quality, made of sustainably harvested bent-ply birch and other eco-conscious materials. Weerol is currently available for pre-order with items expected to arrive to customers by early December.

Monday, October 22, 2012

It was major party time in our house this weekend - lots of sweet little girls (and 1 sweet little boy) came to celebrate London's 4th birthday. The theme was "Teddy Bear Picnic" since London is still super attached to her favorite stuffed animal, Mr. Bear. Oh my, that furry thing is like having a second child – he comes everywhere with us. Luckily, he is super low maintenance. :)

I really wanted to try a black and white party and it turned out to be super easy to find things to make it all come together. I've included a list of my supply sources (and lots of free printable files for download!) at the end in case you ever want to have your own black and white teddy bear party!

I created a low table using some tabletops from IKEA and some overturned white metal trash cans so the kids could kneel and I didn't have to round up a bunch of small chairs. We had a simple agenda of a healthy lunch for the children, followed by a story time where we read some bear stories by Karma Wilson (I love her books! We read this one and this one). Then it was craft time where we decorated small fleece scarves for everyone's favorite stuffed animal (they had each brought one along) and it was a huge hit. While the glue dried afterward, we had a cake walk and then cupcakes with ice cream. After that it was free play time and the children put on an elaborate game of hide-and-seek. I never realized how many good hiding spots we have in our new house! We all had a great time and I was so grateful that London had so many sweet and kind children to help her celebrate a special day.

Black string-and-button envelopes, white invitation cards, black and white twine: Paper Source (note: the envelopes have to be hand processed by the post office, so they will cost about .20 extra per envelope to send).

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

So remember a while back when I said I really wanted this bassinet for our next child? Well, I think we might have a serious contender on our hands now that I've seen Nesta's Nest. It's a brand new modern Moses basket made from lovely thick grey felt and impeccably stitched (4 colors to choose from). But the best part is that it is easily removable from the birch wood stand and you can reuse it when baby grows out of it. With such a beautiful and neutral design, it can blend into the rest of your home seamlessly to store tons of things. Talk about the world's prettiest toy bin!

Friday, October 12, 2012

I can just imagine how this photo came to be...a group of neighborhood moms got it in their heads that each of their children should dress up as bunnies...this idea led to many late nights of sewing and pulling teeth and voila! A creepy brood of bunnies! Well worth the effort, I'll say. Any fall festivities planned for you this weekend? Sewing costumes, perhaps? Not me, I'm putting it off as long as possible and we're headed to the pumpkin patch tomorrow. Pictures to follow!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

I've been anxiously awaiting the day when the Zara Home collection would be available to purchase online in the U.S. and the day has finally come! They have some sweet items in their Kids section, although it doesn't feel terribly cohesive as a collection, in my opinion. Still, plenty of cute finds!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

It's been a while since I did a "discover" post, so I thought I'd share some pictures of our walk through the woods by our home. We literally live in the middle of a forest and we are enjoying every minute of it. We're trying to put our fears of bears and mountain lions aside as best we can so we can get to know and love these woods. It is so peaceful and just like walking through a fairy tale: winding paths, moss hanging, mushrooms growing, and sunlight streaming through the trees.